Device for launching and retrieving boats



c s. ALBERT DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING BOATS April 9, 1946.

Filed March 30, 1944 2 Sheets-Shea? 1 7 INVENTO April 9, 1946. c. ALBERT DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING' AND RETRIEVING BOATS Filed March so, 1944 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 ATTOR Y- nel.

a boat or its return is not made Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE 2,398,274 DEVICE FOR LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING BOATS.

Charles G. Albert, East Orange, N. J. Application March so, 1944, Serial No. 528,781 9 Claims. 01. 114 43.'5)

This invention relates to an improved means for launching and retrieving small boats from and to a raised platform. Thedevice is designed for various Situations and for different locations for the more prompt and secure movement of the boats. The particular. construction illustrated in this application and the far more frequent installation is for launching and returning boats to the deck or of a ship. More particular use to which the invention is applicable is thatof using P -T boatsand similar craftby means of acarrier or mother ship and facilitate their launching and return in a prompt and practical manner. 7

The invention is designed to replace the present methodof using cranes for lifting boats from the deck of a ship, swinging them outboard and then lowering them into the waterj- This method is slow, requires the careful placing of slings and requires a high degree of skill in .the'crew. The method is slow and in case the sea is rough the rolling of the ship and-the action of the sea cause the boat to be smashed or damaged against the ship and sometimes results in injury to person- The present invention can be used in launch- .ing P-T boats and similar craft by using means that .maintainthe boat in a substantially horizontal;position from a deck of a ship-to the water and-also from the Water to the deck.

When the device is used on a ship the mechanism; is preferably installed aft wherectheship, especially if itis under way, causes a flattening of the rough'or'turbulent sea. The launching of difiicult by the rolling of the. ship and an pitching of the vessel ,can be compensated for by the device which allowstheboat to be handled ,without its coming .in ,contact-with the ship.

Th invention also relates to certain details of construction that will be more fully described hereinafter;and also embodied in some of .the

claims. l a

4 The invention is illustrated in the accompany sing drawing which show the invention installed on a moving structure, such as a ship, but it will be evident that the mechanism can also be :used on a fixed structure, such as a wharf. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the device as secured-to a ship and also showing the carriage and its support in submerged position, and, in dotted lines, in raisedposition for delivery tothedeck. Figure 2 is a sideview of the .platform and carriage when submerged and with a boat in the carriage. Figure 3 is atop viewof to make it easier to run. the

the parts shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section of one-half the parts shown in Figure 3 and taken on line 4-4 in Figure 3. q i

As the illustration is directed to showing the installation on a vessel, the stern of a vessel Ill is shown. The deck [0a is usually of the type used on carriers and is flat. The installation is preferably arranged to extent aft the stern. This location is preferred because the vessel, in its progress produces a wake that is" flatter than a swell or a'moderateli, high sea.

The boat-carrying elements are guided, verticallyby what, in this specification and claims is called a frame, and whichis embodied in a pair of spaced parallel booms I I which are hinged at l2 to the ship, each havingapivoted connection at its outer free end for attachment to platform l3. The platform is provided with open ends and supports a carriage I 4 which is constructed to receive the boat 15; Thecarriage is movable, having rollers or wheels on which it rides, the drawings showing wheels l6 which are mounted as casters in the bearings 11 and can be used on board theship in facilitating the storage or alignment of the carriages on the deck lUa. l h

The pivotal connection ofthe platform I3with the booms or frame isshown at l8, comprising in each instance a pin 20 which is fastened to the platform and is slidable in a longitudinal slot 2| in the free end of a boom. This con struction compensates for the distance between the stern of the deck Illa and the front end of the platform when the platform is raised to the level of the deck. This construction is preferred over one employing a-sliding extension on the deck. Y v The platform is raised and is also maintained in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position by the ropes or-cables 22 which-are fastened at the front and rear ends of the platform, at 23. The cables pass over pulleys .(not shown) on a device which may be acrane or a mast. The cables are operatedfrom winches; which are operated by personnel trained in their use and-the platform can be lifted in a substantially horizontal 'position during the lowering or elevating thereof. The winches can also be operated-to tilt the platforms slightly to-the rear to facilitate the entrance of a boat 15 and can be tilted slightly to the front at elevated position or deck level boat carriage from the platform to the deck. I h t i If desired, the booms or frame can assist'in the slightly displaced in a lateral direction. The 5,1

rollers are mounted on stanchions 29 which also support overhanging rollers 30 to be engaged by the boat carriage in case of any unexpected "15 made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising a frame adapted to be pivoted at one end to a supporting structure, an open-ended platform hinged to the other end of the frame, manually operable means for maintaining the platform in a substantially horizontal position, a wheeled boat carriage proportioned'to enter the platform lengthwise, and means for swinging the frame fvertically.

; A device of the character described comprising a frame adapted to be pivoted at one end to a supporting structure, an open-ended platform ya y o he car i e or movement y -IT pivoted at its sides to the other end of the frame waves tends to lift the carriage, The platform may (be provided at the front with a coupling 3| for attachment to a tractor 32 or other rnechanit types of boats on the deck 10a. v

The carriage I4 is provided with side beams 33 and cross-beams 34 which are supported on the rollers 16 which in turn rest on the boards 21; The, side beams 33 are spaced so that they freely under the overhanging rollers 30. The cross beams 34 support a cradle for the type of boat in use. the cradle comprising stanchions which are of the usual types, either fixed or ad-@ justable and which support the boat l5 at the bottom and sides. 7 j

.In operating the device to load a boat on the ship the platform [3 and the booms are placed at deck 1evel as shown indotted lines in Figure l. The carriage is (placed on the platform and 3 is limited by suitable means such as the blocks 36. The platform and booms are nowlowered and the parts are submerged far enough to allow the easy passage of a boat from the rear oVer the a carriage and in position to be seatedin the cradle. The position of the platform and the carriage may be indicated by the markings usually em ployed by hoisting personnel, on the cables, and will allow the tilting of the platform slightly to the rear for easy entrance of the .'boat. In'this submerged position the pivots l8 are down at'the rear ends of the slots 2 I.

When the boat i5 is over the carriage the platform is raised and is maintained in a horizontal position and as it reaches the level of the deck [0a it moves forward and rests against the rear end of the deck due to the sliding forward: of the pivots l8 in the slots 2|. Theboat I5 is then hauled aboard by the crew or a suitable tractor 32. This unloading of the carriage andtheglooat may be facilitated by a slight tilting of "the plat form to raise the rear end slightly. j

This installation provides fora quickand easy launching of boats inquicksuccession from a carrier and. also the, retrieving the-boats for repair or for operational reasons. 1 In using this device the boats, which have a limited cruising radius due to fuel requirements, can be transported on a ship to a sphere of operations at a distant point and quickly put into-the water wherev needed. The invention avoids any possibility of damage to theboats as they are in relatively solid control unitl they hit the water and can then be moved astern the ship under their own power. This is relatively safe as the wake of the ship is not turbulent to an extent that willendanger a small boat at a slow speed in approaching or backing fromtheship.

Various modifications of the partsm'ay "be ride 25 .and adapted for. limited tilting from the horizontal, means for controlling the tilting of the platform; and means for raising and lowering the cal means necessary in handling the heavier 20 frame, and a boat carriage fitting. longitudinally on the platform. v

3.:A device of the character described comprising a frame adapted to be pivoted at one end to a supporting structure, an open-ended platform, a pivotal connection for supporting the platform on the other end of the frame with alimited movement longitudinally of the frame,,means for regulating the tilting of the platform relative to the frame,- a movable boat carriage adapted for longitudinal movement on the platform, and means for raising and lowering the frame.

4. Adevice of the character described comprising spaced booms adapted to be pivoted at one end to a supporting structure, a platform between the booms and pivotedat the other end of the booms to enable it to tilt relative to the booms, means for controlling the tilting of the platform relative ,to the booms, means for supporting a boat on the platform, and means for raising and lowering the booms. -5. A device of the character described comprising a relatively fixed platform structure, parallel spaced booms pivoted at one end to the platform structure, a platform pivoted intermediate its ends to the free ends of the booms, hoisting cables attached to the ends of the platform, a boat. carriage movable endwise on and ofl the platform, the platform and carriage being submersible for receiving and discharging a boat on and from thecarriage, and means for raising and lowering the booms.

6. In a device of the character described, a hoisting means, an open-ended platform attached to the hoisting means and having side stanchions, overhanging rollers on the stanchions, and a boat carriage having rollers for traction on the platform, and having elements to ride under the overhanging rollers for maintaining the carriage in position when the platform and carriage are submerged.

,'7.. A device of the character described comprising a pair of booms, adapted to be pivotally connected at one end, to a support, a boat carrying platform, complementary means on said platform and booms to pivotally connect the platform intermediate its ends to said booms to enable the platform to be tilted relative to the booms, and means adjacent the ends of the platform adapted to be engaged by cables to control the tilting of said platform relative to the booms.

.8. A device of the character described comprising a pair of booms, adapted to be pivotally con- 'nected, at one end, to asupport, a boat carrying platform,- complementary means on said platform and booms to pivotally connect the platform nected, at one end, to a support, a boat carrying platform, complementary means on said platform and booms to pivotally connect the platform intermediate its ends to said booms to enable the platform to be tilted relative to the booms, and means engaging the platform to control the tilting of said platform relative to the booms.

CHARLES G. ALBERT. 

